Dear colleagues,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Liverpool, England, during the 14th Congress of the International Orthoptic Association (IOA) to be held in June 2020. Our Four-yearly meeting has traditionally combined great scientific content with a unique opportunity to meet colleagues from all over the world. In 2020 we hope to see speakers and attendees who will participate and share with us the most significant advances in our profession.

The field of orthoptics is changing, and our role around the world is shifting. No longer is the orthoptist exclusively found in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus, but our role has expanded to other areas of ophthalmology. This has been seen in the past congresses and this will reflect in the upcoming congress in Liverpool.

A wonderful aspect of our 2020 congress is that different key pediatric ophthalmology associations will participate in our meeting. The Zoran Georgievski Education Forum will again be a part of our congress and will highlight the latest insights on orthoptic education.

The Local Organizing Committee and the Congress Scientific Program Committee are working to make this a truly memorable meeting, and I look forward to meeting you in Liverpool, in June 2020.

Jan Roelof Polling
IOA President

Welcome message by the Chair of the Dutch Orthoptic Association